What they are: A logarithm is the exponent you raise a base to in order to get a number, acting as the inverse of exponentiation. Why they matter: They simplify multiplication, division, and roots ...

This is episode one of a three-part series. You can listen to part two here and part three here. [CLIP: Wind howls] Rachel Feltman: When Tom Crawford climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and stood 5,895 meters ...